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Diazepam, sold under the brand name Valium among others, is a medicine of the benzodiazepine family that acts as an anxiolytic. [15] It is used to treat a range of conditions, including anxiety, seizures, alcohol withdrawal syndrome, muscle spasms, insomnia, and restless legs syndrome. [15]
In the elderly, long-term benzodiazepine therapy is a risk factor for amplifying cognitive decline, [29] although gradual withdrawal is associated with improved cognitive status. [30] A study of alprazolam found that 8 weeks administration of alprazolam resulted in deficits that were detectable after several weeks but not after 3.5 years.
The elimination half-life is how long it takes for half of the drug to be eliminated by the body. "Time to peak" refers to when maximum levels of the drug in the blood occur after a given dose. "Time to peak" refers to when maximum levels of the drug in the blood occur after a given dose.
Long-acting compounds have a half-life of 40–250 hours. They have a risk of accumulation in the elderly and in individuals with severely impaired liver function, but they have a reduced severity of rebound effects and withdrawal. Examples are diazepam, clorazepate, chlordiazepoxide, and flurazepam.
Here's how to distinguish "sundowning"—agitation or confusion later in the day in dementia patients—from typical aging, from doctors who treat older adults.
Dion, who was taking Valium so she could perform, gradually built a tolerance and at one point was taking 90 milligrams a day — far beyond the maximum recommended dosage of 40 milligrams.
Improved reaction times were noted at 52 weeks in elderly patients free from benzodiazepines. This is an important function in the elderly, especially if they drive a car due to the increased risk of road traffic accidents in benzodiazepine users. [136] At the 24-week follow-up, 80% of people had successfully withdrawn from benzodiazepines.
The medical mystery led to the singer doing "crazy things to keep going," including taking major doses of diazepam -- a.k.a. Valium. "Let's put it this way, we tried a lot of things," she told Kotb.